by Michael E. Brooks

"From there he arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but he could not be hidden" (Mark 7:24).

That is not exactly headline material. Jesus could not hide! Well, of course not. Not with news of his miracles being broadcast all over Palestine. And the authority of his teachings. And the controversies he created in confrontations with the leaders of the Jews. This was Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. Of course people took note of him. But it is not only our Lord who is noticeable. All of us have trouble hiding, at least at times.

On Friday, March 14, 2003, I was in a van in Bangladesh on the way from Khulna to Dhaka. Halfway there we found ourselves in a huge traffic jam, waiting at a ferry ghat (landing) for the next crossing. There were several lanes of vehicles jammed together, with no way to move. Cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles were almost scraping each other. The ghat was on a flood plain, with no trees and only a few small sheds around it. Nowhere to go, no place to hide.

What made this a rather tense experience is that this was less than one week before the U.S. would launch its attack on Iraq. Bangladesh is an Islamic nation. Over 85% of its population are Muslims. They are highly sympathetic towards Iraq or any other Muslim nation, which is, or might be, under attack by "infidels." Anti-war, anti-U.S. sentiment was especially high at the time. Would that translate into hostility towards Americans who happened to be there? No one really knew. But I could not help wondering. Nowhere to go, no place to hide!

There is a more significant application of this dilemma however. No matter how well we might conceal ourselves from threats of a physical nature, there is One who is always watching. One who always sees us. There is never any way to hide from God. The Psalmist dealt with this at length:

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psa. 139:7-10).

There are times when we would like to hide, even or especially from God. Times when we are troubled with guilt and shame (Gen. 3:8-10). Times when we desire to yield to temptation (John 13:26-30). Or simply times when we lack the desire to be close to God, or when we may feel smothered by his presence. But there is nowhere that God is not, nowhere He does not see. Nowhere to hide. But is that really a problem? The Psalmist found the answer:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23-24).

The way to deal with our exposure before God is to invite it, and open ourselves to its benefits. God is not watching us just to judge or condemn. He is watching to protect and help. He is our loving Father, who "is not willing that any should perish" (2 Pet. 3:9).

There is no reason for us to hide from him. So embrace his watchful care. Seek his help. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).